Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is establishing an Office of Religious Affairs.

As The Hindu reports, this is the latest step in a series of reforms he has pursued on matters of faith.

In remarks on September 30, 2026, the secretary announced that the new office would provide “world-class religious support” and report directly to him.

“Our department, you might say, is putting on the full armor of God, because although we wage physical war, we all know that the real battle is spiritual,” he said.

According to a Pentagon statement, the Office of Religious Affairs (ORA) will advocate for military chaplains and religious support matters “at the highest levels of the department.” At the same time, the office will not “compel participation in religious observances, favor any one denomination, or infringe on the rights of service members who practice any religion or no religion at all.”

A head of the new office has yet to be appointed. A Pentagon memorandum says the director of religious affairs will coordinate the use of spiritual resources, including “support for military families practicing faith-based homeschooling.”

The document also refers to “faith-based initiatives aimed at reducing suicide” across the department. In recent years, the military has increasingly relied on chaplains to help address problems associated with the deteriorating mental health of service members. Hegseth has said he would like chaplains to focus more on God rather than therapeutic approaches centered on “self-help and self-care.”